"That I shall not," the king answered, laughing. "I owe you thanks for such a jest as I have not played on a man for many a long day. Truly I have been more light hearted for my laugh ever since."
"Ay, lord, you had the laugh of me," Kolgrim said, grinning uneasily.
Then the king nodded gaily to him and asked who Thord was.
"This is my master in sea craft," said Odda. "Verily I fear him as I have feared no man since I was at school. But he cured the seasickness of me."
"Maybe I forgot the sickness when I sent landsmen to sea in all haste," said the king. "Nevertheless, Thord, how fought they when blows were going?"
"Well enough, king. And I will say that what I tried to teach them they tried to learn," answered Thord.
"Wherein is hope. You think that I may have good seamen in time, therefore?"
"Ay, lord. It is in the blood of every man of our kin to take to the sea. They are like hen-bred ducklings now, and they do but want a duck to lead them pondwards. Then may hen cackle in vain for them."
The king laughed.
"Faith," he said, "I--the hen--drove Odda into the pond. He is, according to his own account, a poor duckling."